Wenger: Rivals will stutter

The north Londoners remain eight points off the pace following Sunday's 1-1 draw with leaders Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium, where they played the final half hour with 10 men after striker Emmanuel Adebayor was sent off.

But the Gunners boss maintained: "The title is won in May and we are in December. Mathematically we will fight until the end. I believe Liverpool will drop many points. I am convinced of that."

He added: "They had four draws at home. That means they dropped eight points, why shouldn't they drop eight more in the second half of the season?"

Robin van Persie had fired Arsenal ahead with a fine strike after 24 minutes, only for former Tottenham striker Robbie Keane to equalise ahead of the interval when the home defence failed to deal with a high ball up field.

The flash point, though, came on the hour when referee Howard Webb showed Adebayor his second yellow card for a clumsy challenge on Alvaro Arbeloa.

The African striker hit out at Liverpool defender Arbeloa for acting like he had been "knifed", as he fell to the ground dramatically clutching his face.

Replays suggested Adebayor had indeed gone in with a raised boot, rather than a flaying arm, and as such probably merited another caution.

He said: "I cannot say he cheated, but what he did wasn't fair play at all.

"The defender threw himself on the floor as if I put a knife in him."